1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal box provided with a plurality of terminal plates, which are arranged in a row within a box body, and a diode for electrically connecting the terminal plates, where the diode is provided with terminal parts that are laid on the terminal plates and electrically connected thereto by soldering.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the aforedescribed terminal box, when the terminal parts of the diode are laid on the terminal plates and soldered, the heat of the melting solder is conducted to the terminal plates, large amounts of heat are discharged, and the time required to heat the solder tends to increase. Therefore, in addition to longer periods of time required for soldering, the diode is excessively heated by the heat conducted from the terminal parts, and the performance of the diode may be impaired.
In order to prevent this situation, in a conventional terminal box, a region of the terminal plates around the location at which the terminal parts of the diode are soldered is cut out, and the conduction of heat to the terminal plates from the melting solder is minimized (see, e.g., Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2006-135246).
However, the lateral edge portions of the terminal parts are laid on the terminal plates, straddling the locations cut out from the terminal plates in such configurations. The heat of the melting solder is therefore readily conducted from the lateral edge portions of the terminal parts to the terminal plates, and the conduction of the heat of the melting solder to the terminal plates may not be minimized efficiently. Additionally, the melting solder at the locations connecting the terminal parts and the terminal plates readily flows past the lateral edge portions of the terminal parts toward the terminal plates. The amount of solder that connects the terminal parts and the terminal plates may be insufficient, and electrical and mechanical performance may be impaired.
The present invention was devised in light of the aforedescribed problems, it being an object thereof to provide a terminal box that can efficiently minimize the conduction of the heat of melting solder to the terminal plates, without impairing electrical and mechanical performance at locations connecting the terminal parts and the terminal plates.